Doctor Who is getting into console gaming, with BBC Worldwide signing a deal to create a series of titles that will initially be available on Sony PlayStation devices.

The first Doctor Who game, called The Eternity Clock, will be launched early next year on the PlayStation 3, the handheld PlayStation Vita as well as on PC. The Vita, a competitor to Nintendo DS, launches in the UK on 22 February.

BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, said it was "investigating" the possibility that the games, which will require players to "master the complexities of time travel", could launch on other platforms in the future such as the Xbox.

The three game series will be based on a new storyline, written in collaboration with the BBC Wales team responsible for the TV show, with stars Matt Smith and Alex Kingston recording voiceovers for their characters. The Doctor Who games are being developed by Supermassive Games.

Robert Nashak, executive vice-president of digital entertainment at BBC Worldwide, said the games aimed to bring the "wonder, adventure and madness" of Doctor Who to the games console market.

A spokeswoman said BBC Worldwide has created one Doctor Who console game in the past – called Return to Earth for the Nintendo Wii – but that was a one-off title. She said the latest announcement represents a major ongoing strategy.

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